Band:	Sigh
Album:	Gallows Gallery [Reissue]
Style:	Avantgarde metal, Black metal
Release date:	November 2007
A review by:	Dream Taster

01. Pale Monument
02. In A Drowse
03. The Enlightenment Day
04. Confession To Be Buried
05. The Tranquilizer Song
06. Midnight Sun
07. Silver Universe
08. Gavotte Grim
09. Messiahplan
10. [Untitled]
11. The Tranquilizer Song [Remix]
12. Pale Moument [harsh vocals version]
13. In A Drowse [demo]
14. Messiahplan [alternate solo take]
15. The Tranquilizer Song [remix outtake]
16. Jazzy Outtake 1
17. Jazzy Outtake 2

Oftentimes, re-releases are overlooked as money making albums from uninspired bands. Well, this one is not a simple remake of a band out of ideas. The Japanese combo named Sigh keeps surprising me with every album. After a terrific Hangman's Hymn this year, this new and improved version of Gallows Gallery is a real treat for people in search of (extremely) weird music.

With a better production than the original record, it is hard to miss the level of creativity crammed into this album. It is flat-out crazy, sounds like nothing else I heard, but it is so catchy and heavy that it has the potential to win over any listener. The guitar solos are terrific, the vocals are disarming, and the different instruments used are hard to count. Gallows Gallery is probably Sigh's most inventive record. Sigh's frontman Mirai Kawashima must have been really high on that year.

But most of all, most tracks are standouts. From 'In a Drowse' to 'Messiahplan' and the insane 'Silver Universe', this new Gallows Gallery has been one of this year's highlights for me. Don't expect insane drumming or Black Metal shrieks here. It's all one big festival of avant-garde heavy metal complete with kick-ass guitar solos, layered on ingenious ideas.

The added alternate versions and jazzy outtakes are classic Sigh, totally unexpected that is. For the record, the artwork has been reworked in a different color. But the packaging does not matter much when the contents are so good.

Far from their roots, the Japanese band showcases their abilities and creativity with one unique, demented jazzy/heavy album. Now, I have to confess that I am totally biased on this one as I pretty much fell for the original album back in 2005. Regardless, give it a try, it's one of those "love or hate" kind of records. And you might just love it.